What Next?

[BennyBoy]

I think Rita's days are numbered, even more so now with the Hydraulic Launch become less and less common and phased out eventually. I don't see them replacing it with an LSM. Think a spinning Launch coaster would be ideal in that area, doesnt need loads of height etc.

Spinball doesn't have long left either I don't think. But we have been saying this about the 2 for years lol and they are still here. Galactica too potentially. The space that would open up plus if they used the car park

 

[rob666]

Can't see any of the big stuff going anywhere...all three above, potentially, have decades of service still in them... at a time of stagnation, so no need for heavy investment replacing stuff when not needed.
Flats in the obvious spots, for all ages, and a few simple play areas for the little ones while the bigger ones go on the thrill rides in that area.

That would be quick and comparatively cheap...and realistic.

 

[Mick]

Out of the 11 coasters at the park, I think the only ones you could say with any degree of confidence will still be there in 10 years time would be Bluey, Nemesis, Wicker Man, and then probably Smiler, Thirteen and Octonaughts.

But that’s a heck of a lot of potential change which clearly won’t all happen, but I think we might see some removals without a direct one-for-one replacement.

 

[The Lynch Effect]

I would say Oblivion and Galactica are relatively safe. Oblivion is a short track and iconic as well as being a world first, and Galactica was a world first also, they will keep these going imo. Rita is a problem for them and spinball will make way for Horizon assuming that’s a 1.2m ride. Just my opinion mind.

 

[Jb85]

I actually think Galactica is for the chopping board ahead of any other coaster.

That all said, I feel the management will want to increase capacity not decrease it

 

[Slackjawedyokel]

My two cents.

AT always seems to be fairly busy- it’s still drawing in plenty of customers. My feeling about the place though is that it’s ’sweating its assets’ - it’s doing the bare minimum of investment and skimping a bit on general maintenance so the place looks a little unloved in some aspects. Recent investments (Bluey, Toxicator, Curse, NR) are either second-tier attractions , re-themes or re-tracks rather than new, big 1st-tier investments. (Can you imagine Merlin blasting a Nemesis-sized hole in the ground these days?).

I’ve got back into theme parks now my kids are big enough to ride and love the larger attractions. I’m happy to part with cash for a good time at a theme park with my family. We live too far away from AT to do it as a day trip so it’s only ever an occasional trip. We went last September for the weekend (2 days in the park, 1day platinum fastrack x3, hotels, parking,food etc; quite pricey). And we had a ‘good enough’ time and went on all the rides we wanted to.

Unless AT invests in a new attraction of the type that we’re interested in (mainly top-tier coasters), I can’t see we’ll be back. We probably would if we lived closer but as it stands there are lots of places we’d like to visit which are slightly more involved getting to but which also can’t be done as day trips and free time is always short.

The upshot is, unless Merlin invests in new attractions, I think they will continue to draw crowds but many of those will be MAP holders that maybe don’t spend much per visit but I think they will put off people like me who are prepared to spend bigger in order to have an occasional visit and are prepared to buy fast track etc.

If they were to spend bigger, I’d love to see them install the first Mack extreme spinner in the UK. The Ride to Happiness is something else.

 

[Bowser]

My two cents.

AT always seems to be fairly busy- it’s still drawing in plenty of customers. My feeling about the place though is that it’s ’sweating its assets’ - it’s doing the bare minimum of investment and skimping a bit on general maintenance so the place looks a little unloved in some aspects. Recent investments (Bluey, Toxicator, Curse, NR) are either second-tier attractions , re-themes or re-tracks rather than new, big 1st-tier investments. (Can you imagine Merlin blasting a Nemesis-sized hole in the ground these days?).

I’ve got back into theme parks now my kids are big enough to ride and love the larger attractions. I’m happy to part with cash for a good time at a theme park with my family. We live too far away from AT to do it as a day trip so it’s only ever an occasional trip. We went last September for the weekend (2 days in the park, 1day platinum fastrack x3, hotels, parking,food etc; quite pricey). And we had a ‘good enough’ time and went on all the rides we wanted to.

Unless AT invests in a new attraction of the type that we’re interested in (mainly top-tier coasters), I can’t see we’ll be back. We probably would if we lived closer but as it stands there are lots of places we’d like to visit which are slightly more involved getting to but which also can’t be done as day trips and free time is always short.

The upshot is, unless Merlin invests in new attractions, I think they will continue to draw crowds but many of those will be MAP holders that maybe don’t spend much per visit but I think they will put off people like me who are prepared to spend bigger in order to have an occasional visit and are prepared to buy fast track etc.

If they were to spend bigger, I’d love to see them install the first Mack extreme spinner in the UK. The Ride to Happiness is something else.

This post is virtually identical to my views and situation.

I can spend almost the same amount of travel time and less money visiting the likes of Plopsaland or Efteling… and have a much better experience!

I’m happy to spend more on a quality day but i begrudge having to do so to “beat the system”. A good day for all should be the baseline of a theme park no matter the season.

My concern is even when (or if) they do invest in a major new attraction, it doesn’t solve the underlying issues of the park. Thats apparent across all the Merlin UK parks but AT is firmly at the bottom of the pile in that regard.

It shouldn’t be difficult to enjoy the park.

 

[Slackjawedyokel]

My concern is even when (or if) they do invest in a major new attraction, it doesn’t solve the underlying issues of the park. Thats apparent across all the Merlin UK parks but AT is firmly at the bottom of the pile in that regard.

Hard agree. I know nothing of AT’s economics but not only have they not installed a new big attraction for nearly a decade, they also appear not to be investing much in the general upkeep of the place. It’s hard to see that the investment to bring the place all up to scratch will ever be forthcoming. The unique setting of AT is probably both a draw (particularly to international visitors) and a millstone, as both the towers and the gardens will (or should!) cost a lot to maintain. Parks such as Plopsaland with a much smaller footprint can seem much better manicured, although having said that Efteling is on a vast scale and the gardening/planting was impeccable (obvs the economics are a bit different there as Efteling is run on a not-for-profit basis).

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

It's starting to seem as though we're soon to get that big "new" investment everyone appears desperate for, with there being movement within planning permission documents for Project Horizon again. It would make sense for the park to tackle that end of the park around the same time.

Going rather against the curve, however, if we are having a serious discussion about "What Next" for Alton Towers, I think there's one large issue that the park needs to fix first. It's not a ride. It's not a retheme. It's fundamentally fixing the catastrophic, systemic labour deficit that is currently strangling the resort's operational capacity.

The park can build all the multi million pound hardware it wants, but it means absolutely diddly squat if they don't have the staff.

Low Hanging Fruit

Abolish the Commuter Tax.​

Seasonal staff are currently paying upwards of £110 a month for a D&G bus pass just to get to work. Alton Towers needs to entirely subsidise this, it's a devastating real terms pay cut to their younger staff as it isstands Make the staff buses completely free. It acts as an immediate, massive boost to take home pay without altering the baseline hourly rate, instantly making the park more competitive with the urban casual dining sector in Stoke.​

Feed your staff (properly).​

If you're asking people to stand in the freezing rain in X Sector for 10 hours, the absolute bare minimum you can do is provide them with high quality, free, hot meals on shift. Subsidised or free staff canteens are a standard perk in almost every major corporate headquarters (it's one of the founding principles of Waitrose). It builds morale and saves the staff money.​

Medium Term

Competitive Salaries​

The park is bleeding highly skilled mechanical engineers and electricians to the climate controlled, well paid embrace of JCB and the Amazon warehouses. You can't run prototype rollercoasters on a shoestring maintenance budget. Alton Towers needs to conduct a localised salary benchmarking exercise specifically for Technical Services and match or beat JCB's starting rates. Stop relying on the "prestige" of working at a theme park to suppress wages. Prestige doesn't pay the mortgage.​

A "Golden Handcuffs" Transit Scheme​

I've suggested this before, but introduce a subsidised driving lesson or car finance scheme for young staff who have passed their probationary period. Alton Towers is geographically isolated. If you help a 19 year old finance a reliable second hand car (with automatic payroll deductions and strict criteria), you give them independence, solve their commuting issue, and lock in their employment, as the finance becomes immediately payable if they quit.​

Long Term

On site accommodation​

This is the absolute, non-negotiable must. The local 16 - 24 demographic in the Staffordshire Moorlands has collapsed. The park needs to return to importing labour. They need to build a modern, high density, heavily subsidised staff village for 18+ seasonal workers and university students. It doesn't have to be on the immediate park footprint (it could be in Cheadle or Uttoxeter with a dedicated free shuttle) but it needs to exist. You can't attract national or international seasonal workers if they are forced to navigate the broken, hyper expensive rural private rental market.​

Staffordshire University Pipeline​

Formalise and massively expand the Apprenticeship Academy. Partner aggressively with Staffordshire University (who already run excellent engineering and attraction management courses) to create a direct, guaranteed pipeline of graduates into the park's management and technical teams. Sponsor their final years in exchange for a guaranteed two-year operational contract.​

It isn't sexy. It doesn't have a 1.4m height restriction, and you can't market it with a cryptic hashtag and a shipping container, but if Merlin wants Alton Towers to remain the UK's premier destination resort, they need to stop treating their workforce as an infinitely renewable, exploitable resource and start treating them as their most valuable asset.

it’s doing the bare minimum of investment... ...Recent investments (Bluey, Toxicator, Curse, NR) are either second-tier attractions , re-themes or re-tracks rather than new, big 1st-tier investments.

In the past three years the park have invested in The Curse at Alton Manor, Nemesis Sub-Terra, Nemesis Reborn, Skyride, Hex, Toxicator and Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies. I appreciate that you categorise these as "second-tier attractions, re-themes and re-tracks", but dismissing an estimated £50 million as "the bare minimum of investment" ignores a rather significant chunk of capital.

This post is virtually identical to my views and situation.

I can spend almost the same amount of travel time and less money visiting the likes of Plopsaland or Efteling… and have a much better experience!

I’m happy to spend more on a quality day but i begrudge having to do so to “beat the system”. A good day for all should be the baseline of a theme park no matter the season.

My concern is even when (or if) they do invest in a major new attraction, it doesn’t solve the underlying issues of the park. Thats apparent across all the Merlin UK parks but AT is firmly at the bottom of the pile in that regard.

It shouldn’t be difficult to enjoy the park.

I must politely point out that your situation is quite the opposite, though I appreciate your feelings are probably the same.

It's an interesting comparison, but the dynamic for a vocal Annual Pass holder (such as you) who visits frequently is quite different from an infrequent, high spending resort guest (like @Slackjawedyokel).

The irony of the current setup is that the annual pass demographic is exactly what necessitates the Platinum Fastracks everyone despises. High volume, lower yield visits fill the pathways and create the massive queues. It's difficult to decry having to "beat the system" whilst holding the very pass that fuels it.

The comparison to Efteling and Plopsaland is also comparing apples with heavily indebted oranges. Efteling is owned by a Foundation dedicated to nature and fairy tales. Plopsaland is a showcase for Studio 100's television IP. Neither is burdened by billions in leveraged debt owed to Blackstone. They charge a fair, non-discounted gate price and provide a baseline good day out.

Merlin, on the other hand, operates a Ryanair model. The entry is effectively cheap or free, but the premium is on the luggage, the seat and everything else. We can't really expect the relaxed, high capacity experience of a continental park when the financial ecosystem here is specifically designed to incentivise a high stress cattle market.

The system is working exactly as Blackstone designed it, it's far from broken, largely because the market keeps buying the passes and Fastracks that sustain it.

 

[Slackjawedyokel]

In the past three years the park have invested in The Curse at Alton Manor, Nemesis Sub-Terra, Nemesis Reborn, Skyride, Hex, Toxicator and Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies. I appreciate that you categorise these as "second-tier attractions, re-themes and re-tracks", but dismissing an estimated £50 million as "the bare minimum of investment" ignores a rather significant chunk of capital.

I wouldn’t dismiss these, which is why I expressly acknowledge them. What I am saying though is that (apart from NR), these are not attractions that would bring me or my family to the park.
In a world where I can get to Efteling or Europa Park in only slightly more time than it takes to get to AT, AT is currently looking like a ‘one and done’. The overall trip to Efteling or EP may be more expensive but you leave feeling like you’ve received good value for money. Leaving AT feels like we’ve had a ‘good enough’ time but also like I’ve been held upside down and shaken by the ankles for my small change.
It doesn’t matter how a park is owned- if the value isn’t there then we won’t make a return trip. What would increase the perceived value would be a new thrill attraction, and generally tidying the place up and investing In personnel to make the park experience better would also be nice.

 

[The_bup]

It's difficult to decry having to "beat the system" whilst holding the very pass that fuels it.

Merlin, on the other hand, operates a Ryanair model. The entry is effectively cheap or free, but the premium is on the luggage, the seat and everything else. We can't really expect the relaxed, high capacity experience of a continental park when the financial ecosystem here is specifically designed to incentivise a high stress cattle market.

It is quite difficult to argue this when there are no alternatives in the UK since Merlin owns a near monopoly.

Taking on that Ryanair analogy, would it be so wrong to hold the dissonance between complaining about Ryanair while also flying Ryanair when the only planes you can book are Ryanair. To fly Emirates, you would have to drive to an airport in France first.

Sure, you could have a fun time at Brighton Pier, but what if I want to ride something a bit more quality than a Pinfari? What if I wanted to spend a whole day in a park? Merlin Parks are the only - bar Paultons -true full day parks in the Uk.

 

[Bowser]

The glaring hole of what’s next at the park for me is the family thrill choices. We are directly affected by this and it’s the main reason we haven’t visited for 2 years.

They repeatedly either remove rides in this range without replacing them (Blade, Retro Squad) or have them on delayed openings, be it daily like Thirteen or seasonal like Rapids.

This leaves WickerMan then Thirteen doing the heavy lifting as the feature attractions for that demographic. As soon as one inevitably goes down you’re left trekking across a large park looking for something to do, along with a thousand other people.

Will Horizon help if it materialises as a ride for that demographic? Yes but they need multiple attractions in quick succession. Horizon should be an area with at least 3 rides and facilities, not just one new ride with a regular 2 hour queue.

 

[rob666]

It is quite difficult to argue this when there are no alternatives in the UK since Merlin owns a near monopoly....

They don't.
Nothing like "near".

Around 100 parks in the UK.
Half a dozen big ones.
Wikipedia has features on thirty.

So they might, if lucky, get around 25% of the market, depending (as they say nowadays), on your "metric".

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

It is quite difficult to argue this when there are no alternatives in the UK since Merlin owns a near monopoly.

They don't.

What if I wanted to spend a whole day in a park? Merlin Parks are the only - bar Paultons -true full day parks in the Uk.

This is a rather Southern-centric focus. You appear to have entirely forgotten Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Flamingo Land, Drayton Manor Park and Zoo (to name but three).

These are multi-coaster, full day destination parks with on site accommodation (which Paultons Park, praise be, still lacks) and significant infrastructure. Just because they don't sit within an hour's drive of the M25 doesn't mean they cease to exist in the market.

Taking on that Ryanair analogy, would it be so wrong to have the dissonance between complaining about Ryanair while also flying Ryanair when the only planes you can book are Ryanair. To fly Emirates, you would have to drive to an airport in France first.

Sure, you could have a fun time at Brighton Pier, but what if I want to ride something a bit more quality than a Pinfari? What if I wanted to spend a whole day in a park? Merlin Parks are the only - bar Paultons -true full day parks in the Uk.

My analogy was around pricing strategy. Merlin, like Ryanair, do not own a monopoly, though they are the largest operator. People choose to use Ryanair because they offer a price competitive product, not because they have the best service or even the best routes.

You've also missed the very premise of the original post. The complaint wasn't about the domestic market; they specifically stated they are willing to travel to Efteling and Europa-Park. They're explicitly shopping in the international market. They do have the choice to fly Emirates (to steal your analogy), and they are actively choosing to do so because the premium product offers better perceived value than the budget domestic carrier.

The reason the Casual Visitor continues to visit Merlin parks isn't because there aren't any others available, it's because Merlin applies a discount strategy which deeply taps into the British psyche for a deal.

It isn't just a corporate evil unique to Merlin either. As a nation, we are pathologically obsessed with a "deal". We refuse to pay the sticker price for anything.

You can't waddle into a Pizza Express without spending ten minutes signing up to an email mailing list just to secure a 30% off vouche, and we've normalised a society where you can't even buy a soggy meal deal sandwich without scanning a loyalty card to avoid being financially penalised at the till.

The UK consumer absolutely demands a discount. If Alton Towers priced their gate at a flat, non-discountable £45 (like a continental park), the British public would revolt, because they would feel they aren't getting a "bargain".

As such, operators set the gate price at an artificially inflated £68, hand out half-price vouchers like confetti so the guest feels they have "won", and then have no choice but to aggressively monetise the food, the parking, and the Fastrack to claw back the necessary operational revenue.

Merlin operates the Ryanair model because the British public has overwhelmingly demonstrated, with their wallets, that it is the exact model they demand. If we want the Europa-Park experience, we have to be willing to pay the Europa-Park upfront premium. And frankly, as a nation of bargain hunters, we simply aren't.

I blame David Dickinson.

 

[Bowser]

They don't.
Nothing like "near".

Around 100 parks in the UK.
Half a dozen big ones.
Wikipedia has features on thirty.

So they might, if lucky, get around 25% of the market, depending (as they say nowadays), on your "metric".

These aren't theme parks, they are amusement parks etc.

Merlin clearly dominates the UK theme park market as they not only own the most theme parks, they own the top 4 "biggest" by many metrics.

If you want to visit a theme park with big budget attractions here it's slim pickings outside of Merlin.

 

[Secret Weapon]

On site accommodation

This is the absolute, non-negotiable must. The local 16 - 24 demographic in the Staffordshire Moorlands has collapsed. The park needs to return to importing labour. They need to build a modern, high density, heavily subsidised staff village for 18+ seasonal workers and university students. It doesn't have to be on the immediate park footprint (it could be in Cheadle or Uttoxeter with a dedicated free shuttle) but it needs to exist. You can't attract national or international seasonal workers if they are forced to navigate the broken, hyper expensive rural private rental market.​

I definitely agree with this, and have wondered in the past why they don't do it (I'd assumed it was just cost, but it surely can't cost that much?)

AT surely have more than enough space to erect some small Shark Cabin type accommodation, and it would allow their staff to make significant savings on money (rent + bus fare) and time (by not having to commute).

It would also free up capacity on the buses for guests, and its also worth remembering that not all staff would use it anyway, as many may prefer to commute if they live nearby and/or have family commitments at home - but it would no doubt be a huge advantage to those who would benefit from it.

It would also no doubt make the staff happier as well, which is important in a place whose entire business model is based upon selling happiness to its customers!

I'm not sure if it would cause Thorpe Park staff to get jealous, though?

 

[Burner]

Staffordshire University Pipeline​

Formalise and massively expand the Apprenticeship Academy. Partner aggressively with Staffordshire University (who already run excellent engineering and attraction management courses) to create a direct, guaranteed pipeline of graduates into the park's management and technical teams. Sponsor their final years in exchange for a guaranteed two-year operational contract.​

They already do this to be fair. The Visitor and Attraction Management course is currently a source of free labour for the park, under the guise of "work placements".

 

[Ash]

They don't.

This is a rather Southern-centric focus. You appear to have entirely forgotten Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Flamingo Land, Drayton Manor Park and Zoo (to name but three).

These are multi-coaster, full day destination parks with on site accommodation (which Paultons Park, praise be, still lacks) and significant infrastructure. Just because they don't sit within an hour's drive of the M25 doesn't mean they cease to exist in the market.

My analogy was around pricing strategy. Merlin, like Ryanair, do not own a monopoly, though they are the largest operator. People choose to use Ryanair because they offer a price competitive product, not because they have the best service or even the best routes.

You've also missed the very premise of the original post. The complaint wasn't about the domestic market; they specifically stated they are willing to travel to Efteling and Europa-Park. They're explicitly shopping in the international market. They do have the choice to fly Emirates (to steal your analogy), and they are actively choosing to do so because the premium product offers better perceived value than the budget domestic carrier.

The reason the Casual Visitor continues to visit Merlin parks isn't because there aren't any others available, it's because Merlin applies a discount strategy which deeply taps into the British psyche for a deal.

It isn't just a corporate evil unique to Merlin either. As a nation, we are pathologically obsessed with a "deal". We refuse to pay the sticker price for anything.

You can't waddle into a Pizza Express without spending ten minutes signing up to an email mailing list just to secure a 30% off vouche, and we've normalised a society where you can't even buy a soggy meal deal sandwich without scanning a loyalty card to avoid being financially penalised at the till.

The UK consumer absolutely demands a discount. If Alton Towers priced their gate at a flat, non-discountable £45 (like a continental park), the British public would revolt, because they would feel they aren't getting a "bargain".

As such, operators set the gate price at an artificially inflated £68, hand out half-price vouchers like confetti so the guest feels they have "won", and then have no choice but to aggressively monetise the food, the parking, and the Fastrack to claw back the necessary operational revenue.

Merlin operates the Ryanair model because the British public has overwhelmingly demonstrated, with their wallets, that it is the exact model they demand. If we want the Europa-Park experience, we have to be willing to pay the Europa-Park upfront premium. And frankly, as a nation of bargain hunters, we simply aren't.

I blame David Dickinson.

But they will pay £46 per person for Paultons for low queues, free parking, better food and reliable rides Yes, they’re not similar in terms of visitor numbers, public perception, cost of hardware etc but principles remain close.

If Merlin asked for me an extra £15 per visit, similar applied to MAP prices with the equitable service return I’d be chuffed.

Maybe it’s my perception but the “value” proposition at Merlin just doesn’t exist for me anymore, but maybe that because I’m not a MAP owner.

 

[Matt N]

But they will pay £46 per person for Paultons for low queues, free parking, better food and reliable rides Yes, they’re not similar in terms of visitor numbers, public perception, cost of hardware etc but principles remain close.

If Merlin asked for me an extra £15 per visit, similar applied to MAP prices with the equitable service return I’d be chuffed.

Maybe it’s my perception but the “value” proposition at Merlin just doesn’t exist for me anymore, but maybe that because I’m not a MAP owner.

It is worth noting that Paultons is a much quieter and less visited park than Alton. For all the praise of Paultons’ pricing strategy, I’m not sure it would scale up very well to a larger property. I know very well that some people on TripAdvisor and the like already complain about Paultons being too expensive.

For all the flack people level at Merlin, I think it’s easy to forget what excellent value the MAP actually provides on a bang-for-buck basis. It provides the holder with access to a wide array of attractions for a full year for as little as £80. That is a lot for that price!

As much as people lament the service quality at Merlin parks sometimes, one criticism you cannot level at them is that the passes don’t offer good value.

 

[rob666]

But they will pay £46 per person for Paultons for low queues, free parking, better food and reliable rides ...

Those that can afford it will.
Very premium product, in an affluent area, that can target an exclusive market...two hundred quid a visit for a family of four.
Or low life Merlin on the cheap for half a year.

The less affluent have little choice, or no choice at all.